Europa League Betting: Ajax Amsterdam vs. Anderlecht

Group A leaders, Ajax Amsterdam enter match day five in high spirits. They are already through to the last 32 after a dramatic 2:1 victory over Timisoara – one worry less to fret about for them. They are now aiming to secure top spot in Group A when they take on Anderlecht. A win over second placed Anderlecht would certainly assure them control of the section.

Anderlecht, are after a disappointing 1:0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb on match day four. They really missed a huge opportunity to close the gap on Ajax and hurt their chances of a top finish. Not all is lost. They are still in the thick of it albeit further off the mark than they could have been. If they beat Ajax, they might still be able to secure top finish on goal difference.

Soccer Betting Line:

Ajax Amsterdam -½ +110 +110 2½ O -120 U -110 Draw +175
Anderlecht +½ -140 +300 2½ O -120 U -110 Draw +175

Match Time: 01:00 PM Eastern Time Thursday December 17, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: AFC Ajax have been the most solid outfit so far in Group A. They are undefeated in five cycles, having gone 3-2-0. They have kept a tight sheet, scoring seven goals and conceding 3 goals. All their victories have been hard fought and tight affairs.

Anderlecht are second in Group A on eight points with a 2-2-1 mark. They kicked off their European campaign with a 2:1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb and followed up with a 1:1 draw against Ajax. They missed an opportunity against Timisoara when they grinded a scoreless draw on the away but they were not so lackadaisical the second time around, beating Timisoara 3:1 before their fans in Brussels. After the convincing home display, Anderlecht suffered a setback when they succumbed 1:0 to Zagreb.

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Soccer Free Picks: Ajax are undefeated in the competition and they would like to remain so when they host Anderlecht on Thursday. They also want to clinch top spot. One has to give Ajax the edge in this match to win outright and therefore they would seem to be the smart play at +110.

For Anderlecht, the most important thing in this match is to avoid defeat. A loss could be detrimental to their campaign as Dinamo Zagreb is only two points shy in third place. So they will be cautious. A draw would satisfy them some; a win would be more than they could hope for in this match. However, either of those results doesn’t seem likely. Anderlecht at +300 are a long shot bet as they haven’t been particularly convincing on the away in Europa action.

Additional value is on the totals. Both outfits have kept tight sheets and win by slim margins. As this match is tipped to be a nervy, cautious affair, we are unlikely to see many goals. Therefore, the Under 2.5 goals at -110 is a good bet.